a writer's blog

Main menu

Post navigation

Brendan Behan

Brendan at the Chelsea, a play written by Behan’s niece Janet Behan, recalls Brendan Behan’s tumultuous days in New York during the early 1960’s.While Behan referred to himself as “A drinker with a writing problem,” he had the lyrical gift like few others. The days passed, and I was fitted and refitted, and every old one in the house came up to look at the suit, and took a pinch of snuff, and a sup out of the jug, and wished me long life and the health to wear and tear it and they spent that much time viewing it round, back, belly and sides, that Miss McCann hadn’t time to make the overcoat, and like an answer to a prayer, I was brought down to Talbot Street, and dressed out in a dinging overcoat, belted like a grown-up man’s. (From The Confirmation Suit)